Hostels and Women’s Refuges Still Under Threat As Lord Fraud Dithers

Women fleeing abusive relationships could be faced with the stark choice of sleeping on the streets or returning to a violent partner due to the benefit cap a leading charity has warned.

Meanwhile Lord Fraud’s dithering means that many women’s refuges and homelessness hostels may be forced to close when the benefit cap is introduced in July. The cap on benefits, set at £500 a week for families, or £350 for single people, includes housing benefits which in some cases meet the cost of supported accommodation.

Last year Women’s Aid issued a stark warning that this change could potentially close every single one of their refuge’s for those fleeing domestic violence. Homelessness hostels are also under threat. Hostels and refuges charge high rents to pay for the cost of support staff, with most supported housing having 24 hour staffing cover and specialist support workers.

Astonishingly neither bungling Lord Fraud or Iain Duncan Smith appeared to know this. In a panicky response the Government hastily u-turned, saying that the benefit cap would not apply to “supported exempt accommodation”. Ministers also claimed that when Universal Credit is introduced, the system of Housing Benefits, administered by local authorities, would remain in place for this type of housing.

The problem is that the legal definition for “supported exempt accommodation” is several years old and does not apply to much of the supported housing available today. This also seemed to come as a shock to Lord Fraud, who was forced to write charities promising not to worry, he would have it all sorted out soon.

And that appears to be the last anyone has heard from the bungling old toff. An important piece published on The Guardian website by Sandra Horley, chief executive of Refuge, warns that with just one month to go until the benefit cap is launched nationally, many women’s refuges are still facing closure.

The charity also warns that many women who have already been housed after moving on from a refuge are likely to be affected by the cap and may “face eviction and be left with an impossible dilemma either to sleep rough or return to their violent partner”.

The truth is that the majority of those paying high rents and affected by the benefit cap are not people living it up in Chelsea mansions as the right wing press has attempted to portray. In many cases they are people whose life has taken a desperate turn and who have been forced to take any housing they could find in an emergency. Often this housing, despite being expensive, is sub-standard with grasping landlords charging a fortune for properties they couldn’t get away with renting to anyone who had a choice about where they lived.

The benefit cap is a truly nasty policy which punishes tenants for the greed of slum landlords. A DWP impact assessment suggested almost 200,000 children could be made homeless due to the cap. It is unlikely to even save any money. All it will achieve if the expulsion of poor, often genuinely vulnerable families from rich local authorities into areas where councils are already struggling to pay the bills.

The end result will be lower council tax for the rich and cuts to public services for the rest of us. And this, some would claim, is the Tory’s most popular policy. If that is true then a lot of people need to have a serious fucking word with themselves.

this person is outrageous…does he have any morals of his own…a right banker…we don’t have a government, but a board of directors..who’s sole purpose is to bring profit to it’s shareholders…everything else is excluded form their minds, unless it is pointed out to them, that this is not normal human behaviour…they have no moral compass they have advisers do that for them….

I know of one such woman who still claims to be fleeing from a violent partner despite having had no contact with him for several years now she still milks the welfare system claiming that he still harasses her. She has been housed in a beautiful 3 bedrooms house in an affluent area. She wants for nothing and has had her home completely kitted out with every imaginable luxury, all at the tax payers expense. Taxis are paid for by social services and anything she claims for is given to her. These definitely are the kind of people that abuse the system and should be welfare reformed.

JOKE: A convent/nunnery is next door to a monastery and some facilities are shared. One morning the Mother Superior goes past a group of nuns. She is in a bit of a foul mood. They comment, and she turns round. ‘What did you say?’ One, who always tells the truth, points at another nun, and says, ‘She said: “It looks like someone got out of the wrong side of the bed today.”. The Mother Superior shouts at the second young nun, “What on earth do you mean, you dreadful girl?” The second nun says, “I only said, I think you got out of the wrong side of the bed today. You’ve got FATHER’S slippers on!”

phoenix…
the whole welfare system is wrecked, or in the process of…by the ill thought out polices..if one can extend politeness and call them that..of these purple govts, that have caused all kinds of intended and unintended consequences..as they have attempted to step out of what people would expect a govts role to be….ie for the people…by the people…they have caused extreme suffering and confusion…and actually shot themselves in the foot on many occasions..and try to ignore what they have done and bandaid,some of the problems that stick out like a sore thumb..the ones that red flag them for what they truly are, insane. that also people are now put in the absurd position of proving, that illness and unemployment actually exists…and people even the hardy poor, need a roof and even food…in other word they know full well what they do or they would not try to cover it up, and try to create the impression all is well with they world when in fact they no full well it is not and wish the 5m odd lord f..claims himself, to be without work…would simply disappear coz it eats into company profits…+ the harassment of the downtrodden creates the terror incentive to force those in work to work harder in “jobs fight club” thus worsening the overall situation…whilst the rich hide behind their mountain of wealth…they have their power because they are firmly in control of our vitals of life….

You’ve said it all jv in your usual eloquent way – the plight of refuges is paramount at the moment, building more housing second and where are the International children’s charities that work both here and abroad to help the poorest in society, when local charities crumble?

I am one of those people who are fleeing domestic violence and one of these comments makes me sick in particular, i was forced to move into my sisters house for the safety of both myself and my children. and have been awaiting housing in a different council and in the mean while my housing benefit has been stopped even though i am sick and disabled due to the fact i informed the dwp that i had changed my address so all my things are still in my property and we are in fact homeless due to our situation and you have probably not considered this in your comments so if she is getting help because she is being terrorised then let her be, you really have no idea what it is like to be in this position !!! damn do gooders make me sick

Obviously the comment you referred to was callous to say the least and cannot be said to be coming from a do gooder.
My mother at one time worked in a women’s refuge at a time when the police used to ignore domestic violence,she saw women being stalked even in refuges and safe houses by their ex husbands, thankfully she was not one of them, but has had a lasting influence on the vulnerability of women at certain times of their lives.

@Johnny Void i need to correct you with regard to supported accomadation ..staff ideally should be 24 hours but are not due to the fact that privatisation of social services has taken over and suffered severe staff cuts .this has happened where i live . It means if an emergency arose there would be no one to deal with it. This has happened many times here. Housing associations in their search for new business have been taking over hostels and supported accomadation

I can only imagine.
TV’s & radios blaring all night, doors being kicked, constant tapping for small change and tobacco…
I’m a big bloke, and on the first night i made it clear- out of the eyeshot of the cameras- what thought of the tappers.
A lot of folk going through them doors were broken by life and easy targets, at least in the dining room we set up “our table” of like minded folk who’d try and protect those not able to stand up for themself, but, its an institution environment and group dynamics and powerplays changed weekly.
I really do compare the regime to open prison, with the difference that causing trouble enough to get noticed by the “Staff” got you thrown out, instead of more time.
Strange days indeed.
mate, i really do feel for you

Seen that happen, one guy was trying to rip out the copper piping and wiring to weigh in… hows that for insanity / desperation?
Seen him not long after mooching through bins in the Town Centre at night carrying the plastic bag in that The Courts seal up your coat/ laces / belongings -Very sad

hmm! (I’m tiny, remember?) Anyhow the jokecentre told me to go for a job as night staff in these places (more are homeless hostels though). Incorporating security guard, social worker, drug searcher and several other roles. It didn’t include any training. Probably you need 2 big people that look imposing and are really strong, and 2 sounds like a skeleton crew. If somebody really kicks off, which happens a lot at ours and the bail hostel. The latter recently got in the paper over a fight there. Tricky if you are living in a tiny hostel under curfew but the person you have the fight with is in the same bail hostel. And if the terms say you both have to live there. (No mention of bullying, harassment, sexual assault, racism….)
I suppose if something bad goes down, the staff are meant to call the police?

It’s funny you mention that – can you imagine a bread company today (as in the Hovis ad, way back then) using images of not-well-off, working class people going to buy their daily bread, without somehow having to depict images of supermarket reduced sections/food banks?

There is a camden council van near me it has an illustration of a Young man placing paper money down a drain or he is retreiving money from a drain..ot goes on about reporting under occupancy of housing and encourages ppl to downsize their home and by doing so pay less rent and council tax…is this all too weird ?

Why were the baliffs( or is it sheriffs in Scotland) not sent in to recover the debt in the form of taxation owed? It just shows that the unemployed were big business for David Allen if he could afford mansions and golf courses,pity those being shuffled into temporary jobs never benefited as much.

I said somewhere else last week, there was a massive press hooohaaa about all the Teenagers in Brigend South wales having some kind of Suicide Cult a few year back, how come we are hearing next to fuck all about sanctioned people dying, aside from one or 2 really high profile cases?

I left my home and my ex husband in London and came back to Scotland many years ago with my 3 year old daughter arriving at my mums with what we stood in and a fiver after 3 years of domestic abuse. Its a move I have never regretted and my heart goes out to all victims of abuse. We need more refuges and shelters not less!

I despair at the thoughts of all the youngsters under 35 being forced in to HMO’s … Now there’s a recipe for theft, anxiety and violence.
5 or so complete strangers forced to share the same kitchen, lounge, toilets, bathrooms, laundry etc.

One year some council twat wrote: we have visited and inspected your house and shared facilities (list included Lounge). They claimed it was in my presence. Not only could they not physically describe me, I asked when it was (they didn’t want to say) and I said I never knew of an inspection so was not present. I said: ‘proof nobody visited, is that you say we have a lounge, We do not have a lounge. Therefore this is fraudulent.’ They never replied. But later they repeated that we definitely have a lounge and because of having a lounge, housing benefit was cut. Wankers. I invited them to come over and show me the location of the lounge. They did not respond.

Pay for lazy bone idle fuckwits to mainly chase up Service Charge payments first and foremost, drink tea all day and break up the odd fight, then call you in to an office every 4 or 5 week and talk down at you and insult your intelligence.

Security staff, slightly idle, doors to rooms will get kicked in and rinsed, while they sit on their arse, but who’s up for losing their teeth / setting emself up for an assault charge, for minimum wage.
But you can have a laugh with em at least, cleaning and catering staff on the other hand i’ll hear no bad said against. The real saints in those places.
But hang on, your £30 p/w service charge is for meals/ eleccy/ cleaning and security team, so just what the fuck is that near £300 p/w taken from housing benefit for?

@Ulysses yeah I know what you mean..I pay service charges no one knows what for .I’ve asked repeatedly and still i dont know.. I had my heater taken away in the middle of winter just to teach me a lesson ..they fired him thank god. now a private firm has taken over and theres less staff to deal with trouble..I get no peace here I think jv needs to research this area more before he writes…

The point that Chewie n Mesen are trying to put across, tax payers are paying high amounts via housing benefit, for these services and they just dont materialise.
Ask me my biggest peeve of Hostel life, OBD, you’ll be surprised at the answer. You’ll probably think me a small minded petty wanker at the answer, but its the entire principle that sticks in my throat

ulysses…i know that but it can just be said…like you are, like i am…there is a deeper layer, of very poor services provided by private company’s..that is far far worse than has ever been seen before…it cuts right across the social spectrum of public services now in private hands..this aspect as you know will become more and more prominent in every walk of life.. tell me what sticks in your throat about this entire principle..since you invite me to ask….

A small clear plastic press stud lock bag containing a folding comb, small toothbrush, bar of cheap soap and a mini tube of toothpaste.

Remember…a Homeless hostel. Folk entering those doors with nowt but the clothes on their back if really unlucky.

It was 6 month down the line before i found out everyone should get that, what, £4 or £5 item on acceptance of their place to the hostel.

52 rooms at nigh on £300 per week plus £27 per week service charge.
And Stonham group saved a fuckin FIVER or so on a little something that would make you feel human again.
Id just got out of hospital myself and still had a wash bag with essentials, one half used tube of toothpaste and a full one. At breakfast i overheard one sanctioned lad called Mick, had ran out toothpaste that morning. Cleanliness is one of the small things you can control in those places, hair, shave, bath. It became a big deal
After breakfast i sneaked down the corridor so as not to embarrass anyone, knocked quietly and gave him my spare toothpaste.
the smile i put on his face with that one small act, you’d think it was gold bullion

ulysses…the pound carve up, the lions share now going to the private company…all the boxes of care seeming to be ticked..for the sake of “outside” scrutiny..as expressed so well by lucy reynolds…the real care sucked out of the system and now replaced by mission statements…cbt yawl..bullshit…yeah i’ve been there as well…the tiny things that bring hope..that others kindly do for one…ripped off and no voice to outcry..because your words will be smothered..with threats etc…lucky to get out alive is how i felt…

But Chewie, on the other hand, im fucking glad that Hostels are there.
The alternative at present is even more horrific.

Also, i have to point out i have met some real salt of the earth types living in there too, and the outright belly laughs and humor and intelligent conversation they provided kept you sane
I often thought, what the fuck are you doing in here, with your wit, skill, mind? Then id reflect that i bet they they were also thinking similar thoughts

@ulysses where I am they are all.mentally ill and stupid as shit..I should be sympathetic I know but their life evolves around smoking and fags that’s it. I got. Placed here in an emergency cos i was attacked at the previous place so I had to be got out of there as it was dangerous.

chewie
ok that’s cleared up…but you have your voice here just to say about you’re experiences..without too much reference to the over arching context of the blog…plenty of flexibility with in it…to make the relevant points you make…the cash that is sucked out of what should go directly to the care of residents…has a profound knock on effect to everyone’s well being within this system…and is deeply abusive..to all those who need shelter…the councils did a far better job of providing, as bad as that sometimes was..it is much much worse now…we can only have any hope of changing this..collectively….

@donkey I want the localism thing looked into as that hardly ever gets mentioned and its being used to Stop ppl from moving into other areas which might benefit their health..I wish Johnny would look into that for us at its keeping people trapped in unhealthy situations

Radiators in all rooms got universaly shut down in mine last spring…
Trust me, i KNOW how cold it was apart form 1 good week last july. it pissed down nearly all spring/ summer. You aint got fuck all so you walk everywhere, get to your room soaked with the only hope of clothing being dry for morning was to spin your gear in the air to centrifuge most moisture out and then put it between the matress and bottom sheet… Wich used to slide of in the night unless you tied it on…
Thank christ the hot water was unlimited, hot baths were life savers!

@ulysses I’ve got scars all down my legs from scratches made from broken springs in mattress . I was waking up in sheets covered in blood. I’ve got photos to prove it. And yet the housing association charging me service charges still?

I may be telling you to suck eggs, but old laces or string, hole the bottom sheets to thread the string, and tie the bottom sheet on, or else it will slide off..

If to anyone reading this, it sounds bizarre, the sheets are the cheapest fitted style of shiny nylon, and institution mattresses are plastic. I lost count of folk choosing to sleep ABOVE the duvet so as to avoid the inevetable skin contact once an untied bottom sheet slid off

@John Void but can we have a place where it CAN be discussed? Such as why these places are farmed out to private concerns to profit by and why it keeps on happening…a lot..to the detriment of residents and why is the localism bill being used to prevent people from MOVING into better areas? To me its just nimbyism everyone will be trapped and stuck in crapholes and become more ill and not be able to fucking work..can we do that John?

chewie
yes i know, you have wanted that now for some time….it is built into local structure plans and agenda 21 action, google it, and expanded from those principles, a kind of political styrofoam …it is very oppressive…it is how the local community has rights that exceed that of outwith the community…but not of local governments..upwards…

@donkey I posted a link to hounslow council that made it clear they did not want homeless to believe they would get permanent home. In fact they sooner them dumped onto private landlords to exploit…I want johhny to look into all this as its fucking nightmare

Donkey john is not my greatest fan. All the same I hope he sets up a special blog on this matter as the tories have policies that contradict each other now…bedroom tax forcing ppl to move and localism preventing them from moving ..daft eh?

You’ve all completely missed the point, I am on welfare myself but not to the horrific degree of abusing it. The lady in question is renowned for pulling the wool over the authorities eyes, you are all very green if you don’t think scams like hers exist, she has claimed hundreds of thousands of pounds claiming her ex used to kick her in the stomach thus having to have corrective surgery when all along it was her partner who footed the bill for her to have cosmetic surgery for child bearing stretch marks. I’m not defending domestic violence as I’ve been a victim myself, yes men can suffer it too.

Ulysses….. The point is the government know people are scamming so they lump all claimants together under the same umbrella so it’s the genuine people owelfare that suffer the indignity, wake up and smell the coffee, jv has you brainwashed!

The fraud rate is infinitesimal, you are looking the wrong way for people to blame.
blame politicians, corporations, bankers. Employers where they still exist.
This woman has simply found a niche to survive in, and i am in no way am i going to have a go at her for exploiting it.

Even if 50+% of those on benefit were operating some form of scam, there would still be no possible way to account for/justify this (or any other similar) government’s actions. Their agenda is way wider than inventing policies to solve ‘problems within the system’. They’re alleging that it’s a response to the perceived ‘problems’ of fraud and/or error, but only as a neat way to explain the barbaric measures they’ve introduced. There isn’t any cause and effect for current ‘policies’ – only a welfare state/NHS that need dismantling, the sooner the better. If anyone believes rational decisions have been taken (based on ideas of fairness/redressing balances) then that’s the idea. (SPeye – most recent blog on benefit cap/bedroom tax etc) shows that both of these ‘policies’ neither save money nor make sense in any other way (for those affected) & haven’t been invented in response to anything. The are purely and simply vicious, are about cause/already are causing mayhem and considered ‘reasonable’ (?) – & scapegoats being found to ‘explain’/justify these crimes.

If benefits were enough to live on, the majority of “Scammers” wouldnt need to “Scam”
I’m not saying benefits should be minimum wage or whatever, but the simple fact is, after rent, council tax, water, electricity and gas, for a lot of people there is no choice but to earn a little to bread on the table.

Of course, there are those who take the piss who have a day job or a major “touch” that is more than enough to support them and their family without benefits being claimed, but as SN wrote, they are in the minority in the grand scheme, and this small percentage is the scapegoat being used

It goes without saying (or should do), & not wishing to labour the point (but what the heck), there are people who earn vast sums of money – way more than enough for their immediate needs – & who still feel the need to try to milk whatever system they’re in. We can’t make the ‘rules’ based on ‘if some of you do something, the rest will have to suffer’ when it comes to fundamentals such as whether to allow everyone the right to a basic income, or start to chip away at it bit by bit …

Oh really? And what evidence do you base this nugget on? Is it “well I know of someone…”. you seem to know of a lot of someones. Phoenix, you truly are one brainwashed sheep. Now put the daily mail down & use your noggin & if anyone is scamming the system,well GOOD ON THEM!

If these hostels and refuges are charities, they should also have accounts and audits so there must be some way to find out where the £300 pw goes, (probably to the chief exec.) also how can they have charitable status and still charge users £300 per week, they should get off their arses and fund raise for their clients not steal from the public purse.

In my mothers day they worked voluntary ( unpaid) and helped to fund raise too with stalls, tombolas bingo nights etc, a small grant from the council was all they got from the public purse.

As Johnnyvoid said, the money goes to the provision of Support Staff that assist you, find you doctors, optitions, dentists, support you in housing applications. back to work plans.

In reality however…

Consider this: after 3 month in a hostel the Local Authority are obliged to prioritise your place on the housing allocation register.

Imagine Stonham Group making over 300 quid a week on room allocated to a big bloke who steps in to stop fights, causes hardly no trouble other than demanding the plastic bag of toiletries that he found out after 6 month should have been handed over on day one, generaly kept his head down and nose clean and was courteous to other residents and staff.

Why wasn’t this bloke prioritised after the allotted period despite promises of in the period leading up to and many times after.
Because this bloke caused no trouble and earned them over £300 is the only earthly reason i can think of?

Ulysses the reverse is true far from prioritising ppl in temp accomadation who are suffering they are using localism act to favour home owners and those who ‘conyribute to the economy’ as they put it. They want to ‘reframe’ the rules on home allocation ie avoid housing homeless..

So where’s all the refuges and hostels for male victims? And yes she is real, her daughter is my son’s girlfriend, one of three children emotionally abused and abandoned by her, a truly evil woman of no morals!!!

So your saying there is a bonus type system for the ceo’s who generate business for the housing associations.
They want to start doing repairs I’ve been waiting for a plasterer for 5 weeks before I can decorate my extra bedroom, when I suggested getting a subcontractor in because their own 4 of them apparently were all sick, I was told they had and there was still a backlog – pigs might fly too.

Yes guy that’s how it works weve had over a dozen housing officers now in past few years ..I note the only time they bother is when they appoint a finance and employment officer…why? Wtf is that about I thought they were housing not the fucking DWP …???

The housing associations are into everything they are run by ex council big shots and are embracing all the public services that are provided locally and it annoys the hell out of me because they are interfering in things that should be out of their jurisdiction.

Is this man Lord Freud related to the late Sigmund Freud? Rich useless idiot. Correct me if I am wrong. What the hell is going on!! How worrying that the benefit cap is now targeting hostels . Where will these poor abused people go then ?? A safe base for people being abolished then, just like every other last resort rescue, for the most needy. This Authoritarian hostile Government certainly is doing a nasty number on the most vulnerable people in this country. Perhaps they really want to wipe it all out literally. It makes me sick. Suicide rate up as well, Where will it all end? So with con merchants Unum Provident being behind DWP I guess Britain is going the American way now. Everything being privatised. Only the rich being able to afford medical insurance. O.k then if this tyrannical government are so desperate to ‘change people’ where the fucking hell is the decent psychotherapy and counselling for these poor scape goated abused souls then??? Where the fuck is it Cameron??? Just kick em out on the street with fuck all, but the shirt on their back eh. That should change them for the better do you think.

btw have you seen the stuff i posted on johns next blog the DWP lies one..look on their for dwp stuff and A4E and stuff sent to me from a labour MP //tories to bring back hanging and call bank holidat margaret thatcher day….

They seem to be repulsed by a poor person, and a disabled person is seen as drain to them, they just cant contribute enough to the economy, meaning they can not tax you. I can not get my head around the fact that they abolished incapacity and disability benefit. Then charge the poor buggers counsel tax and bedroom tax. This is a fucking outrage!!! People are getting charged more than people who have mortgages. Those rich swines have had their properties handed down to them from inheritance. We have been doomed from the start. Your right about this blood sport. They enjoy the chase, then slaughter. No remorse.

The women forced onto the street, often after being raped, can get raped on the street, the government will say that is their fault or not even really rape. If there is not 100% consent from all parties to a sex act, it’s rape.
Mixed sex accommodation is dodgy and rapes happen there too. Of course men assault other men but in their case, male rape is taken even less seriously. In reviews of some dodgy budget hotels in UK, women guests at one said there were no locks on the doors and staff stole or moved guests’ stuff. Other guests did too. Some women had mad, pervy men coming into their room at night, often on drink/drugs. They had to put chairs against the door to stop it. It’s in Wolverhampton I think… because accidentally I nearly stayed there. Ended up at Travelodge instead.

The other night I saw this woman, not exactly a friend, but she was homeless and is now in a house. But to pay the rent she is street walking and has to shag minging old men. That is kind of economic rape. Hope none of them turn violent…
Another woman: Some years ago I tried for about 3 years to help her. She was homeless, alcoholic, a criminal, and a heroin addict. 2 men in relationships with her had beaten her up. Her family threw her out before that. The blokes got her into drink and drugs. Later she was in a series of hostels but managed to get thrown out, partly because other heroin addicts came in and squatted there refusing to leave. Back on the street and back on the game. The trouble is the skankier and more worn out you look, the less the johns pay. And the less inclined they are to use a condom.
Another woman: Not a sex worker, but the partner of a homeless guy. He was mentally ill, on drugs, a drinker, and beat her up. I was there on one occasion when she tried to leave him, and he beat her up and threw her stuff round the street. Then he chased her beating her up till she reached where I lived at the time. She was friends with my housemate there. She banged on the door and we let her in. Shortly after, the bloke came and tried to kick the door in. He demanded we hand her over to him. I told him no way, and to get lost. Somebody called the cops but the cops never came. I gave the girl first aid as she was covered in blood and I was a first aider. We sat shaking in the dark all night with the mad bastard kicking the door and screaming threats to kill us all. We stayed (it was a storm and power cut too) till we fell asleep. Tried getting her in a refuge after that.
Another woman: Recently; she is physically disabled, learning disabled and has mental health issues, behavioural problems etc. Her ‘boyfriend’ beats her up and makes her have sex. She keeps trying to leave him but he keeps taking her back. Women’s Aid gave me a special alarm to give to her, but I’ve not seen her in ages.
Another woman: 20-plus years ago and of much higher social status. Not alcoholic, on drugs, or a prostitute. Respected in the community. In good health. Happily married. Or not. Behind the scenes, being beaten up and raped. Left him. Went back to him. Left him again. Moved in with a woman. So you never know.
The woman at WI serving the cucumber sandwiches and Pimms could be a secret victim of domestic violence. So could the female soldier, cop, or builder.
Officially there is mention of just one hostel for men beaten up by female partners, and one project to support gay men who have been abused by a partner.

You are a survivor. Never give up on yourself. Well done for being so strong. The day we give up on ourselves is the beginning of the end. We have to look after our selves. No one else ever will. The strength has to come from within. Gain knowledge and research on the internet. So much knowledge at the tip of our fingers. Best do it while we can still run our computers and keep the fat ,greed ,thieving, rotten governments bailiffs out. Knowledge is power. ,

These hostels sound rank rotten. Not a safe base for people AT ALL. Disgusting!!! well of course they would be, the government would never fund anything like this. I think many of these abused people need excellent psychotherapy. Many have been seriously abused and abandoned in childhood. An insecure attachment. They carry on in life getting abused time after time, with abusive partners unconsciously repeating their abusive childhood patterns, totally unaware. You deserve so much better.

Research the dysfunctional parents. Narcissistic mothers. Enabling fathers. Some of us get a rotten start in life. The government will never help these people and fund decent psychotherapy and counselling which many of these abused men and women that end up in these hostels so desperately need. You must get strong and help yourselves recover. This government is harsh and critical of the people who need help, they will never help. NEVER. Never give up on yourself.

Guys I am so sorry to hear this. It is disgusting. I have a homeless centre next door to my flat. I know there is no help for people. It really is disgraceful and inhumane. I saw a young homeless rough sleeper outside my place the other day, just 21 years old. No family, nothing. His mum was no good. No help at all. I spoke to him for a good hour and made him a cup of tea. His ribs were broken. Someone beat him up the other night. Hospital patched him up, gave him co dydramol and sent him on his merry way. It breaks my heart. I have a son the same age.

This is rank rotten that housing associations are calling this extra business and CEO’s on the make. Its all rotten to the core. These are all human beings being deprived of their basic human rights to a decent existence. A decent life, they deserve. The Gov is greedy and corrupt. Yes I know country is bust, but what about the tax evasions of the rich. What’s going on for fucksake. It really is all corrupt then. Everyone on the make. Who are the real scroungers???

jasmine…the country is bust, is another myth…the gdp is £1.8tn…and money is being held in govt a/c’s and not being released…the pensions bill of £125bn, drawfs the money being spent on direct benefit payment to jsa and e and sa…

@jasmine where i live the staff were social services now its been taken over by a private company in fact a housing association which makes no sense as our landlord is a different housing association..so why do we need two? well as i say its because its ‘extra business’..oh and they’ve cut the staff to half what they were before…it means they cant cope really which is shit for us residents…especially when there is an emergency..

Thank you for filling me in. I just read you link Bobchewie, regarding Denise Marchalls piece of the government funding cuts to her Womens refuge. This lady is worried sick. Already working on a shoe string, now nothing. Nice to know there are people with empathy, but now she can not use this and help her people. Rape victims do need help, all the help they can get. They will feel invisible she is right. They will be trauamatized to the max. These women are so vulnerable. Will be unaware of their Trauma Bonds they may have, and go out in the world vulnerable, with out being helped or given much needed insight. How can Government and society turn their backs on these abused people. This is terrifying.

@Jasmine it really is terrifying..most us ‘in care’ (haha) are all worried sick about what might happen to us..and trying to get back into the ‘real world’ is very hard indeed as its like a twilight zone in those places….

Bob, bless you I can imagine. You must stay strong. You are an intelligent man, you must keep going. I understand. I am right in this shit too. Had a nasty accident couple of years back. Got nasty leg and ankle breaks. Got oesteo arthritis now. Need a joint replacement. Lost job, money dwindling away. Was on esa until Atos took it away. Cant have op and be incapacited again because will go under.

s/survived..i still can’t get my head around, this conditional essay they told you to write….how the fcuk does that work….written under duress…this obviously means that every thing on their sites is similar written, it must do…”well what do you think of us”..say anything we do not like and you are for it, sanctioned..nothing like an unbiased view…how can someone of your immense intellect even conceive of writing something so bland as a dear wpp, letter…what an insult form them..

Reminds me of this time at school. We were told to draw a picture of God. I said ‘but I don’t believe in God’. I was told I still had to do it. Handed in blank paper, ‘here is my picture of God’. Got put in detention. They said sit here till you do it. I drew a Greek style ruin with pillars everywhere all toppled over (think ‘Ozymandias’ by Shelley), and in the middle some crumbling steps leading up to NOTHING. I used lots of perspective, shadows etc. I was called to the head’s office. I explained it was a metaphor. Unfortunately the head didn’t know what a metaphor is, so I explained that to him, and said ‘I’m not making trouble, but you said I had to draw a picture of God, and I don’t believe in God.’ The head didn’t get it and said look at everyone else, why can’t you be like everyone else? ‘Everyone else’ had drawn an old man, white beard, robe, throne or cloud. I said I had actively not believed in God since I was 5, and them telling me to believe in God was not going to stop me not believing in God. And if God existed, if half the things in the Bible were true, why would you want to worship that God? So I got detention and worse, but stuck to my argument. As I recall, I was nine. (State comprehensive)

A few years later I was told to draw a promotion/poster to get people to visit the city I then lived in. It had to be of typical scenes of the city. It was also to be entered into a competition. My walks to and from school for many miles featured daily chasing, beating up, ambushing etc. I’d pass stuff that had been vandalised. I’d get to school and spend much of the day getting beaten up, threatened, or running away from people trying to beat me up. I reluctantly started to draw, and drew things like abandoned shopping trolleys and vandalism, litter, syringes, etc. No, it did not win…. Head hauled me in; and said you really upset the organisers of the competition, are you some kind of commie? (But sir, I was the only one that stuck to the brief..) I’d get stupid questions when caught postering, leafleting etc or soapbox-type speaking. Who are you working for, who put you up to this, who put the ideas in your head. ‘Um it was all me’. No really, who hired you? ‘Me again’. One of my schools said I had been reading dodgy material, namely, Das Kapital (English translation). Which evil person had given it to me? I said, I got it in your own school library. Why pick it up? Because I wanted to read it again but my Mum had lent her copy (German one) to a friend at a marxist type group. And why is a book in your library if you don’t want people to read it? I have read Crime and Punishment that is on the same shelf. And if you are worried about what people are reading, some of the nazis able to read have been reading Mein Kampf quite a lot, in English of course, but aren’t you worried about that? Aren’t their parents worried?

Back to 2013:
I could send the Department of Watercoolers and Pinstripes, something like the ingredients list off a packet of crisps. ‘Well I wrote something’.

The localism act you talk about sounds like another double bind no win situation. Just like the ESA end and JSA start. People are too sick to get JSA and JOB MARCHING around, but not allowed ESA because ATOS deem them ‘fit for work’. Its berserk. Its a head fuck. Its driving people mad. I wonder if this is done on purpose?. I fear this is what is driving people to suicide. I do know that narcissistic abusers use this dirty tactic on their prey. This housing situation is terrible. We got to wise up and fight the buggers.

I have worked with young people for 18 years and have been shocked and disgusted at the standards (or lack of) provided to vulnerable homeless young people. I am currently working with one 17 year girl who has been placed in a very low quality B&B and told by her SW that she has to stay there until she is 18 (march) and can bid for a housing association property. I am aware that is illegal to place 16/17 year olds in b&b but no one seems to listen when I complain.

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